Introduced in the market in 1941, M&M’s has colonized the market ever since. This shows that there is something that they get right over the years, something that the peers did not get right. They have attained a competitive edge in the market. Again, over the years, the company has introduced new products in order to respond to the emerging needs of the consumers.
This article is going to explore M&M’s.
Are M&M’s gluten free?
M&M’s candies are not labeled and advertised as gluten free. However, they are in fact gluten free, with just a few exceptions. They are therefore safe for people with gluten intolerance or celiac disease. At least this applies in the US and many other countries in the world.
Outside agencies have verified this information. They have confirmed that most of the M & Ms do not contain wheat. Nima Sensors evaluated the product by M&M’s and found out that only two of their varieties contain wheat. These are Pretzel M&M’s which has already listed wheat is one of its ingredients and Crispy M&M’s. Crispy M&M’s has not done a public warning about gluten, but it states barley malt, which clearly, has gluten.
However, consumers should be careful about gluten. This is because the ingredients making food products change over time. Therefore, one should monitor if there is any possible change in the gluten status. If gluten is introduced in a product, and one has health problems with it, the best thing is to avoid it.
Are M&M’s Vegan?
M&M’s is not a suitable choice for vegetarians, they are not vegan. This is because it contains milk ingredients. The manufacturing process involves the use of ingredients which come from animals. The company’s UK product contains beeswax and carmine. These types of ingredients in the US and other countries are not included in the list of ingredients. This is because they contain small amounts of the ingredients.
Therefore, if you do take vegan food, you should think about the alternatives that you can take, and the market. One ideal replacement would be chocolate No No’s. This is a tasty choice and has a milk-less chocolate interior as well as crunchy candy coating. Peppermint No No’s are also a good replacement. Little secrets dark chocolates, too, can also be used in the place of M&M’s. All these products are available on Amazon.
Are M&M’s Peanut Free?
The simple answer; NO, they are not peanut free. It is a legal requirement that manufacturers list in the preparation process, at least most of the ingredients. It is very important that manufactures list whether a product has peanut or not. Plain M&M’s does not contain peanut.
However, this product may contain some traces of nuts such as M&M’s, and these could include peanuts. The reason is that a M&M’s factory makes many of the products using nuts, and it would be plausible to imagine that the nuts do not contaminate the manufacturing process. As a matter of fact, the company gives an official warning that its products may contain peanut due to the equipment used.
According to Mayo Clinic, peanut allergy can be a source of a very severe allergy attack. Therefore, it is best avoided. This is more so to people who have allergies. In the worst case scenario, it can lead to death.
Are M&M’s Kosher?
M&M’s, at least in the US, are kosher. Out differently, most of the varieties of M&M’s are kosher. There is a kosher symbol in some products. In most cases, the certifying agent is the Orthodox Union. The company is also keen to prepare products which are going to be used during Passover.
However, one should be careful about foreign M&M’s products. This is because they may not be kosher after all. Such products have not be taken through supervision, and you may not know if they are kosher or not.
If you are not sure if the product you are taking is kosher or not, check a reputable kosher certifying agency. This is a simple process and it is done online.
Do M&M’s go bad?
Like any other product, M&M’s do go bad. However, they do have quite a long life, and they are going to suit you. On average, the “best before” date will be 6 to 12 months. Another critical factor on how long the chocolate will last is how it is stored. If it is stored in the right conditions, it is going to last longer. When M&M’s is stored in a pantry, it will last 6 to 12 months. If it is stored in a freezer, it can last as long as 16 months.
When M&M’s stays longer than “best before” date, it starts changing its taste. Again, little white dots means that the chocolate has gone bad. In such a case, the most prudent thing is to throw it away. This is because taking such a product could compromise your health.
M&M’s flavors
As a recognized brand M&M’s is, they do offer a line of different flavors to enjoy any time. But, which can of favors do they offer? M&M’s flavors are:
- Birthday Cake M&M’s
- Chili Nut M&M’s
- Coconut M&M’s
- Coffee Nut M&M’s
- Crispy S’mores M&M’s
- Crunchy Cookie M&M’s new
- Crunchy Espresso M&M’s
- Crunchy Mint M&M’s
- Crunchy Raspberry M&M’s
- English Toffee Peanut M&M’s
- Fudge Brownie M&M’s
- Hazelnut Spread M&M’s
- Honey Nut M&M’s
- Hostess Brownies made with Milk Chocolate M&M’s
- Kudos 100 Calorie M&M’s Bar
- M-Azing Crunchy Bar
- M-Azing Peanut Butter Bar
- M&M’s White BOO-tterscotch
- M&M’s Bar Milk Chocolate with Minis & Peanuts
- M&M’s Cafe Mocha
- M&M’s Caramel
- M&M’s Chocolate Bar
- M&M’s Classic Mix
- M&M’s Cookies & Screeem
- M&M’s Crispy Mint Milk Chocolate Bar with Minis & Crisp Rice
- M&M’s Dark Chocolate Creepy Cocoa Crisp
- M&M’s Dark Chocolate Darth Mix
- M&M’s Holiday Mint
- M&M’s Jack’s Gems
- M&M’s Mega
- M&M’s Milk Chocolate Bar with Minis
- M&M’s Milk Chocolate Bar with Minis & Crisp Rice
- M&M’s Milk Chocolate Jedi Mix
- M&M’s Milk Chocolate Pecan Pie
- M&M’s Mint Chocolate
- M&M’s Orange Vanilla Creme
- M&M’s Peanut Butter
- M&M’s Peanut Darth Mix
- M&M’s Peanut Jedi Mix
- M&M’s Premiums Mint Chocolate
- M&M’s Premiums Mocha
- M&M’s Premiums Triple Chocolate
- M&M’s Pumpkin Spice Latte
- M&M’s Shimmery White Chocolate
- M&M’s Special Edition Strawberried Peanut Butter
- M&M’s Triple Chocolate
- M&M’s White Chocolate Candy Corn
- M&M’s White Chocolate Peanut
- M&M’s White Chocolate Peppermint
- M&M’s White Pumpkin Pie
- Mexican Jalapeño Peanut M&M’s
- Mint Crisp M&M’s Adventures of Indiana Jones
- Mint Dark Chocolate M&M’s
- Pretzel M&M’s
- Strawberry Nut M&M’s
- Thai Coconut Peanut M&M’s
- White Chocolate M&M’s Pirate Pearls
- Wild Cherry M&M’s
Obviously take care that some of this flavors won’t be available always (created for special ocassion) as well of other’s being available just in specific countries. The best way to know the availability of any flavor is always ask or check your nearest marketplace or supermarket.
M&M’s ingredients
Following the data, and taking M&M’s Peanut as example the ingredients are:
- milk chocolate (sugar, chocolate, skim milk, cocoa butter, lactose, milkfat, peanuts, soy lecithin, salt, artificial and natural flavors)
- sugar
- peanuts
- cornstarch
- palm oil (<1%)
- corn syrup
- dextrin, coloring (includes blue 1 lake, red 40, yellow 6, yellow 5, blue 1, red 40 lake, yellow 6 lake, yellow 5 lake, blue 2 lake, blue 2)
- carnauba wax
- gum acacia.
The official website also offers allergic information, being:
- contains peanuts
- milk
- soy
- may contain tree nuts.
M&M’s nutritional facts
To end the data’s section, a taking three M&M’s product as sample, their nutritional facts are as follows:
| Nutrition facts | M&M’s Peanut (Sharing Sup) | M&M’s Milk Chocolate (Sharing Sup) | Pretzel M&M’s (Sharing Sup) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Units | 1 oz (12 pieces or 28g) | 1 oz (32 pieces or 28g) | 1 oz (12 pieces or 28g) |
| Calories | 140 | 140 | 130 |
| Total Fat | 7g | 5g | 4g |
| Sodium | 15mg | 20mg | 95mg |
| Carbohydrates | 17g | 20g | 21g |
| Protein | 3g | 1g | 2g |
| Sugars | 15g | 18g | 15g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1g | <1g | <1g |
| Calcium | 30mg | 30mg | 30mg |
| Iron | 0.5mg | 0mg | 0.6mg |
| Potassium | 110mg | 0mg | 0mg |
Do M&M’s have Diary?
The simple answer; YES, they have milk, so diary. On the last section we discuss the ingredients of a M&M’s product, but if we take another one, the ingredients are as follows: cocoa mass, sugar, skimmed milk powder, palm fat, lactose, milk fat, glucose syrup, shea fat, starch, colors, glazing ingredients, coconut oil, dextrin, flavorings.
This is an official list and is provided by the company. From this list, then, one notices that M&M’s contains at least 14 % of milk products. As a matter of fact, M&Ms contain a big amount of diary.
However, M&Ms states that the following products do not contain dairy: seasonal Dark Chocolate Peppermint, Dark Chocolate Raspberry, and Dark Chocolate Salted Peanut.
Do M&M’s have gelatin?
Many products including M&M’s contain gelatin. Gelatin, a product which gives the products their texture, is derived from either pork or beef, M&M’s uses this product as much. If you are seeking to avoid gelatin in your diet, then this is not the food for you.
Conclusion
If the current observations are anything to go by, M&M’s is going to be a very popular product for many years to come. This is because the company has undertaken an aggressive campaign that includes personification of candies and graphics. Most importantly, the company has not disappointed the market and it offers very tasty products.